Game Recaps

Last Second Goal Helps Rivermen to Perfect Road Trip2010-12-04

Derek Nesbitt’s goal with 13.5
seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime where the Peoria Rivermen
defeated the Lake Erie Monsters 3-2 in a shootout. It pushed Peoria’s point streak to eight
games (7-0-1) and their road record to 9-3-0-1 as they finished their trip
4-0-0 with wins in Rockford, Grand Rapids, Hamilton and Lake Erie.

With
the net empty, and on a power play, T.J.
Hensick sent a cross-ice pass right to the doorstep for Nesbitt’s fourth
goal of the season. It was the first
time this season that the Rivermen scored with the extra attacker on the
ice.

Ben Bishop turned aside 22 shots
in regulation and overtime before he stopped four of five Monster shooters in the
shootout.

The
Rivermen scored the first goal of the game at 16:49 of the opening frame. Phil McRae won a draw in the Lake Erie
zone; Mark Cundari then slid it to Jake Gannon who wristed a shot from the
right point where McRae was able to redirect it past John Grahame. It was
McRae’s team-leading ninth of the year and Gannon’s first point in a Rivermen
sweater in 14 games. Cundari also added his 10th assist of the year
on the goal.

Just
as it looked like the Rivermen were going to carry the 1-0 lead into the third
period, the Monsters converted with 5 seconds to go in the second. Matt Ford
received a pass from Patrick Rissmiller in front and buried his eighth of the
year. David Liffiton added an assist on the equalizer.

Peoria’s
first power play of the game didn’t come until 10:17 of the third period and it
led to the Monster’s first lead of the game.
At 11:37, Mike Carman stripped McRae at the blueline, went in all alone
on Bishop, made a move to the backhand and finished with a shot off the
crossbar and in. It was his fourth shorthanded goal of the year and the team’s
league-leading seventh.

The
shots were even, 4-4, in overtime but the Rivermen were forced to kill off a
power play in the extra session. Their 4-for-4
performance elevated Peoria’s penalty kill to 89.2 percent, second to only
Oklahoma City.

In
the shootout, Nathan Oystrick and
Hensick both improved to 2-for-2 in shootouts this season with goals while
Bishop took care of the rest.